The UN Represents The Governments Of The World. May A "Bell Of Atri" Represent The People Of The World? (Part 77)
The Camel's Nose In The Tent
Once upon a time there was a trader who needed to camp in the desert for the night. Drawing on my personal experience I can assure you that, contrary to popular opinion, the temperature during a desert night usually ranges from "cool" to "freezing". He pitched his tent, tied up his camel outside & settled down to sleep. After a few minutes, his camel spoke to him, "Master, it is quite cold out here. May I just put my nose into your tent so as to breathe some warm air?". "Of course!" Replied the trader, & the camel did. After a few minutes, his camel spoke again, "Master, I am still feeling cold. May I rest my head inside the tent?". "Please do!" Offered the trader, & the camel did. After a few minutes, the camel humbly said, "Master, my neck & legs are cramped & cold. May I move a little further into our tent?". The tent was getting a little crowded, but nonetheless, the trader replied, "By all means!" as he tried to make space for the camel. As soon as he had shifted to a side, the camel strode in & said, "I think you made a very stupid blunder by purchasing such a small tent, that you should have known, could never accomodate both of us. Since this is your fault & you are the smaller party, I think you should spend the night outside or else there will be insufficient room in the tent for me.", & roughly pushed the trader out into the desert night!
In a strikingly-similar manner, modern-day "Camels", e.g. some governmental & intergovernmental authorities, who are ostensibly here to serve the People Of The World & thus, forbidden from claiming majority authorization to do what none of the majority was or is permitted to do, are surreptitiously & gradually depriving the People Of The World of every protective measure that constitutes a barrier to danger & discomfort.
Some folks believe that the way to address such problems, is to hold "talks" with the perpetrator(s) until justice is done...which sounds like the trader shivering outside the tent & desperately pleading with his (comfortably sleeping) camel to do the right thing & let the trader back into his own tent! While anything is possible - the trader's earnest appeals could suddenly awaken the camel's conscience - banking on a miracle instead of employing our God-given intellect, is seldom a logical strategy.
As to hints about the efficacy of approaching a court of competent jurisdiction, that is logical...as long as the litigant (&/or the litigator) has strategically won the case before filing suit. As can be confirmed by the cases of those who expected a judge (who is a human being, first & foremost, with the routine wants & weaknesses of the human condition) to give them justice, no good can come of assuming that a stranger will make any effort to identify & define your rights if you demonstrate that you couldn't do it yourself!
Given below are a series of stories selected by the Bell Of Atri from the latest headlines in the world, each of which constitutes evidence of the initial stages of the "Camel Effect" on the economic future of the People Of The World.
"Why Michael Jackson Almost Turned Down $5 Million From Pepsi" - Showbiz Cheatsheet (May 17, 2024)
To summarize: According to a lengthy opinion piece (presented as a book) by Jermaine Jackson, Michael disliked Pepsi but went along with the first endorsement deal because it had been negotiated by Joseph Jackson. In view of the fact that Jermaine's comments were published after Michael's murder, said comments remain firmly within the realm of "unconfirmed gossip". However, as Pepsi (& the Jackson Family) knew very well, while routine celebrity endorsements were & are generally viewed as a scam, Michael's credibility & competence catapulted Pepsi to a whole new level...because people instinctively trust a person whose character & personality can comfortably withstand unbiased scrutiny.
It is quite possible that the aforementioned story on the background of the deal between Michael Jackson & Pepsi, could be misrepresented by some as "evidence" that Michael sometimes carried out transactions that he didn't specifically want...thus, nobody need suspect foul play when John Branca (the Ziffren Brittenham attorney he fired...twice) claimed that Michael had basically handed him the keys to the kingdom! Similarly, some might argue that, Jermaine's publication is "proof" that his son Jaafar will not disgrace himself as a clueless loser while playing Michael in the Ziffren Brittenham "Biopic".
While an unconcerned judge, e.g. retired Judge Mitchell Beckloff (now of law firm Groman & Beckloff), may consider such a flimsy argument "conclusive", the financial losses sustained by the American music industry, from 2009 summer onwards, constitutes strong evidence that the global investor community personally thought Judge Beckloff's judgment was garbage. In the same way, even though Michael was a very respectable gentleman (& thus, like every other respectable gentleman & lady, preferred to avoid the repeated informal itemization of the numerous acts of petty treachery committed by close relatives...given that, like every other respectable gentleman & lady, he had confirmed that the legally-significant record of said acts was in place), Jermaine's (& Michael's other siblings') resentment for Michael's professional success has always been an open secret.
The trouble here is that the American investor community, despite being painfully aware of the insidious spread of the stain of corruption across all the concerned US business sectors (from entertainment companies through law firms to banks), appears unable to ensure that the financial crimes committed against Michael be addressed with immediate effect (before the ever-growing toll they are taking on the US economy, goes out of control).
"Russian court orders asset seizures for 2 major German banks" - DW (May 18, 2024)
To summarize: Russia has apparently decided to respond to US & EU sanctions the legal way. So far, Russian courts have ordered asset forfeitures for Deutsche Bank & Commerzbank (of Germany) & UniCredit (of Italy). The banks in question reportedly believe that their acknowledgement of sanctions on Russia, will prevent implementation of said court orders, but as of now, all defendants are officially waiting & watching.
While everybody knows the grave consequences of mixing business with pleasure, is it possible that the consequences are even more disastrous from mixing business with politics? The steps being taken by the Russian judicial system against the world's leading banks, e.g. JPMorgan Chase, are not just about the potential losses said banks stand to suffer from asset forfeitures; the Russian courts are also putting out a clear warning to international investors & customers, that should the US &/or the EU suddenly decide to blacklist anyone, said banks will not put their official commitment to their customer before their alliance to governmental &/or intergovernmental shot-callers.
Said governmental &/or intergovernmental authorities have undoubtedly cornered the People Of The World by delegitimizing the only practical competitor to the international banks: The various iterations of the millenia-old "Hawala/Hundi" System. Which means that, concerned People Of The World must start fostering credible international people-to-people alliances of their own...before they receive a politely-worded message declaring that their nest eggs are gone!
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"$22,000 Disappears From JPMorgan Chase Account After Customer Reports Suspicious Activity – Now Bank Says Reimbursement Is Not Happening: Report" - The Daily Hodl (May 17, 2024)
To summarize: Frauds committed against the customers of leading American banks seem to have become the norm. Most recently, the Kalista Family of Ohio disclosed that Mrs. Michelle Kalista (a JPMorgan Chase customer) received a phone call from a seemingly legitimate source who furnished Michelle with her account details to prove the caller's veracity & claimed that someone was trying to wire money from her account to Florida. While Michelle was still listening to the caller's narrative, her husband Mike called Chase's official customer care number & inquired about the security of Michelle's account; Chase officially confirmed that fraud attempts were underway...but didn't freeze the account. After 2 unsuccessful attempts, a third try resulted in the disappearance of US$22,000...but Chase has refused to reimburse the Kallistas, arguing that it had determined that the Kalistas "authorized or (they) received benefit" from the transactions...&, if not, that she (Michelle Kalista) compromised her account herself! Such scams appear to be occurring increasingly often; since April (2024), at least 1 other Chase customer has lost US$4,500, & at least 3 Wells Fargo customers have lost a combined US$164,000...& all of them have been refused compensation by their banks!
Who could ever have imagined that multinational corporations would start implementing policies formerly reserved for overseas customers & investors (especially in Russia & the Developing World), against the bonafide citizens of said corporations' home countries? Was the first hint of this sad scenario, the wholesale theft of Michael Jackson's wealth (on the basis of "Bank Of America said so") or the brazen embezzlement of Russian investments (on the grounds of "sanctions")? Would it be accurate to argue that the only way a (class action) lawsuit against the accused banks could yield a satisfactory outcome is, if the gross legal violations committed by retired Judge Mitchell Beckloff were reversed first?
"Pakistan-IMF technical talks conclude; policy-level discussions to begin on May 20" - Samaa (May 18, 2024)
To summarize: The "technical" stage of ongoing IMF-Islamabad talks stand concluded (with no definitive conclusions worth reporting); starting Monday (May 20), the IMF will acquaint Pakistan with its style of talks at the "policy" stage. So far, all the IMF has conveyed, is its disapproval of the fact that Pakistan appears to have done nothing but slip deeper into debt ever since the IMF commenced business operations in Pakistan, implying that it doesn't like what it has done & may - after transacting business this way since Pakistan requested (but never used) its first loan from the IMF in 1958 - contemplate winding up its highly-profitable money-lending business in Pakistan.
Islamabad has barely wound up fulfilling the draconian terms & conditions levied by the IMF in its "Standby Arrangement", before Islamabad & the IMF commenced talks for an "Extended Fund Facility". In effect, the allegedly dilapidated state of the Pakistani economy is the direct result of previous IMF involvement...but no intergovernmental authority acknowledges that said involvement is legally viewed as a causative factor & should constitute grounds for the removal of IMF "legal immunity"; in other words, the IMF's actions prove that it is just a commercial bank with blanket immunity, which constitutes an unfair advantage to other commercial banks & a threat to global economic stability & prosperity.
But, as can be confirmed by the Federal Board Of Revenue officials currently in the dock for the alleged missteps in the Track & Trace System, had the IMF been a plain vanilla commercial bank, could said officers have constructed a more effective defense by legally compelling the IMF to confess its role in the case...instead of being the scapegoats for IMF blunders?
"Not stopped from blocking SIM cards: FBR only barred from taking coercive steps against telcos: IHC" - Business Recorder (May 18, 2024)
To summarize: The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to request the vacation of the Stay Order issued by the IHC against Income Tax General Order 01/2024. The IHC Chief Justice (CJ) clarified that previous reports declaring that the order was issued against FBR SIM blockage were inaccurate; the order only forbade coercive measures by the FBR against the telecom companies. The IHC CJ went on to muse aloud about his deep concern & commitment over the children of "laborers & stallholders", at which the AGP assured him that the happiness of the abjectly poor could continue, undisturbed by FBR tax demands. With his worries soothed, the CJ issued notices to the telecom companies to furnish a reply, & adjourned the case until Wednesday (May 22).
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq has reportedly clarified that the media had misreported his order: He didn't object to the violation of every human being's right to communication (regardless of personal legal record), he simply instructed the FBR not to bother multinational executives but to focus its hostile actions exclusively upon the rights of the People Of Pakistan...who are absolutely speechless with gratitude for his straightforward commitment to accuracy & clarity.
However, he followed up with comments about the financially-challenged that seemingly conveyed the kind heart that nestles within him...which once again brings up the need for clarification: While a judge is legally obligated to ensure the human rights of all the people within the jurisdiction of his court, is a judge permitted to display "clemency" (other than "judicial clemency")?
"Clemency" is an act of leniency or mercy, & includes pardon, commutation, reprieve, or remission of fines & forfeitures.
"Judicial Clemency" is a form of post-conviction relief that does not remove anything from the defendant's legal record, but changes the disposition of the case to "dismissed", thus restoring some of the defendant's civil rights.
"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." - Martin Luther King, Jr.